


Help from old friends

by Blackghost7



Category: Doctor Who, NCIS
Genre: Getting Together, Lots of kissing, M/M, starting something
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-02 06:31:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4049788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony meets an old friend… Will Gibbs cope?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When they received word that their BOLO on the car had yielded results, for a moment they contemplated just letting it go. The case was solved anyway, and they didn't need to check out the car anymore for evidence linking their suspects - now already in custody - to the murder. But Gibbs was taking no chances, so when he told Ziva and McGee to finish their reports and ordered Tony into the elevator with him, none of them were really surprised. And besides, Tony's report was already finished, and he'd much rather be out in the field with Gibbs than stuck at his desk waiting for quitting time to come round.

The car had been spotted in an abandoned industrial complex on the outskirts of town, and considering the destination, it was no wonder that it had taken so long for it to be discovered. It had just been dumb luck, a patrol car taking a detour, that had caused it to be found. When they arrived, Tony sighed deeply. It was a burned out wreck, and he was certain they would get nothing from it, but Gibbs was the boss and if he wanted the vehicle checked out, Tony would do it without question.

They were just finishing up when the hairs at the back of Tony's neck raised, signaling that he was being watched. Turning around slowly, checking the few people who had gathered at the scene in this out of the way place, Tony squinted his eyes as he surveyed the watchers. Gibbs noticed Tony's movement, and eyed him carefully.

"What do you see, DiNozzo?"

"Nothing, Boss…"

But Tony kept looking around until at last he broke out in a wide smile.

"What is it, DiNozzo?"

"Just an old friend, Boss. Give me a minute?"

Gibbs nodded, but ever curious, followed Tony when he walked over to the barrier set up around their scene. Tony walked over to a man in a weird old-fashioned military greatcoat, brown hair styled perfectly, sparkling blue eyes shining with joy. Half a step behind this man was another, skinny and lanky, light brown hair reaching for the stars and brown eyes soft and gentle but old, hands in his pockets and looking part annoyed, part curious. Tony stepped up to the first man, but before he had a chance to speak, was greeted in a deep tenor voice with an American accent. 

"Anthony DiNozzo… How absolutely wonderful to see you again!"

"Jack Harkness! Unbelievable!"

Tony was pulled into a one armed hug over the barrier, the other man grinning widely.

"You look great, Tony!"

"You look… absolutely the same."

The other man's face fell a little. Tony quickly added more.

"Gorgeous as always!"

The wide grin returned to the other man's face, and Gibbs could swear the smile was pure sex. He bit back a growl. After slapping each other's back's gently a few times, the two hugging men pulled back. Tony's eyes sparkled.

"What are you doing here, Jack? I never thought I'd see you again."

The man - Jack - looked slightly uncomfortable, and brushed his hand over the back of his neck, his blue eyes almost hidden as he looked away to the skinny man standing behind him. 

"Ah... Well, we were in the neighborhood. Saw the commotion, came over to see what was going on."

Tony eyed him carefully, then nodded in acceptance, albeit skeptically. Then he grinned.

"Just in the neighborhood, huh? Fine, fine… don't tell me then."

Jack grinned back at him, then turned his eyes on Gibbs who was standing just a step behind Tony, smiled and reached out his hand. 

"Well, hello! Captain Jack Harkness…"

"Stop it…!"

The warning came from the lanky man standing at Jack's shoulder, and while Jack turned to the man, Gibbs and Tony glanced at each other with a quirk of lips. Jack's voice was plaintive as he addressed his companion.

"I was just saying hello!"

The skinny man didn't answer, just rolled his eyes and sighed. Jack grinned completely unrepentantly, then turned back to Tony.

"This is my friend, the Doctor."

Tony reached out his hand with a broad smile, and the Doctor took it after a dubious glance. Tony beamed a wide grin at the handsome man as he spoke.

"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Jr. Nice to meet you."

The growl escaped Gibbs' lips this time, together with his warning.

"DiNozzo!"

Tony quickly dialed down the grin.

"Yes, Boss! Sorry, Boss!"

Jack looked from one to the other with a smile, then in a loud stage whisper addressed Tony.

"Yours wants to spoil all your fun too, huh?"

A faint blush crept up Tony's cheeks, and his voice held a hint of embarrassment when he replied.

"He isn't… he's my boss, Jack."

Jack again eyed them both carefully, then gave a short nod.

"I see."

Tony cleared his throat.

"You gonna be around, Jack? I'd love to catch up with you."

After a quick look at his companion, Jack nodded.

"You bet, Tony. We'll be in town for a couple of days. Give me your details, I'll call you."

After exchanging information, Tony and Jack hugged again, and then Tony followed Gibbs back to their burnt out car.

*****

During the drive back to the Yard, Tony was quietly looking out the window, and Gibbs was eyeing him from the corners of his vision while keeping an eye on the road. The exchange with the handsome strange man at the scene had given Gibbs a lot to think about. Tony had called the man gorgeous, and there had obviously been something between them in the past. That was one question answered then. Tony was not averse to men. It was a relief, but at the same time, it made Gibbs nervous. Because the man he had just met was very different from Gibbs, a pretty boy, and Gibbs had no way of knowing whether Tony would be open to his advances if that was the kind of guy he went for. Gibbs shook his head and tried to let his thoughts go.

Tony's mind, meanwhile, was spinning. Jack Harkness. For three amazing weeks, they had spent all their time in the bedroom, Jack teaching him and loving him, and then one morning, Jack had been gone. Eventually, Tony had shrugged it off. People always left him. He shouldn't have expected anything different from Jack. But the handsome man had blown him away, his first and only male experience, and Tony had often wondered whether it was just Jack or if there was more going on with himself than Tony knew. He'd looked around, but no man captured his interest the way Jack had. Until Tony met Gibbs. But that was a long time ago, and a long way away, and Tony had buried all that beneath his jokes and smiles and clownish behavior. It had been great to see Jack again though, and Tony hoped they would indeed meet up so they could talk.

*****

The call came the next day at the end of his shift.

"DiNozzo."

"Tony…!"

"Jack! Hi!"

"You sound surprised?"

"Well… You left pretty suddenly last time…"

"I know… I'm sorry about that. Can I buy you a drink?"

"I don't think a drink would make up for that, Jack."

"I know. I didn't mean it that way. I'd still like to buy you a drink, though."

Tony hesitated only a moment. 

"Sure. Tomorrow? We have three days off after tomorrow's shift."

Jack chuckled, and Tony felt the sexy sound reverberate down his spine.

"Tomorrow's great. The Doctor's coming too. You wanna bring your 'Boss'?"

Tony turned away from the others, and hissed into his phone.

"He IS my Boss, Jack. Nothing else!"

"But you want him to be, don't you?"

"Jack!"

"Ask him along, Tony! We can have all sorts of fun together! Text me where you wanna meet."

And with that, Jack disconnected the call. Tony felt his cheeks and ears getting warm, but turned to Gibbs anyway, ignoring Ziva and McGee.

"Boss?'

"Yeah, DiNozzo?"

"You remember yesterday?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"I'm not senile, DiNozzo. Of course I remember yesterday."

"Of course you do, Boss. Sorry, Boss. Uhm… I'm meeting Jack and the Doctor for drinks tomorrow, and we were wondering…"

"What?"

Tony took a deep breath, and got it all out at once.

"Wewerewonderingifyouwouldjoinus…"

Gibbs studied Tony for a few moments, then nodded.

"Sure."

*****

The whole next day, Tony was on tenterhooks. He eyed Gibbs as stealthily as he could, but his boss gave no indication of being nervous or apprehensive. Late that afternoon, Tony sent a text to Jack, telling him to meet at a certain bar around eight, and Jack sent back a confirmation almost at once. Tony gave Gibbs the details too, and waited anxiously for Gibbs' reaction, but Gibbs just nodded and said he'd be there. When Gibbs released them, Tony went home quickly, showered and shaved, and dressed carefully. He knew Gibbs knew the district the bar was in, knew the implications, and he was nervous as hell. But maybe it was time.

*****

Gibbs smirked to himself as he made his way home. The bar Tony had mentioned was quite a well-known one, well-known for tendering to an open-minded crowd, and Gibbs wondered what Tony had in mind. But ever the pessimist, Gibbs just figured it was about Tony and Jack, and it had nothing to do with him. He sighed. But despite himself, Gibbs showered and shaved, and dressed carefully, in fitted jeans and shirt, hoping to show Tony he could be different. Glancing at his watch, Gibbs cursed himself. He was already late.

*****

Jack laughed exceedingly loudly at the story Tony just finished, earning an amused glance from the Doctor and a grateful look from Tony. Jack managed to put them all at ease, his good humor and excessive flirting an excellent match for Tony's vulnerability. As Jack wiped the tears from his eyes, Tony glanced at his watch. Gibbs was late. Already twenty minutes late. Was he even coming at all? Tony swallowed. 

But then the door opened yet again and Gibbs strolled in as if he owned the place, Tony breathed a sigh a of relief. And of admiration. Gibbs looked gorgeous, even more gorgeous than the handsome Captain Jack had ever seemed to Tony. As Tony's eyes glued to Gibbs, Jack looked at his lover. The Doctor smiled back, and took Jack's hand, brushing his fingers over Jack's in a clear display of affection. Tony stood as Gibbs approached, swallowing nervously.

"Hey, Boss!"

"Tony. Harkness, Doctor."

Tony rubbed his suddenly sweaty hands over the legs of his jeans, then gestured for Gibbs to sit, and Gibbs took the offered chair and settled into it comfortably, signaling the bartender for a drink. The conversation halted while they waited for Gibbs' drink to arrive, but then Captain Jack started telling stories - heavily edited - and they all turned to him to apparently listen.

*****

Tony again rubbed his hands over his jeans, and swallowed heavily. Gibbs was here. Gibbs looked fantastic. Gibbs was… Tony wanted to bang his head on the table until he had a concussion, any excuse for the things he was feeling and thinking at that moment.

*****

Gibbs was carefully eyeing his surroundings. That included Tony. Tony seemed nervous and off, and Gibbs could only hope that had something to do with him.

*****

The Doctor was studying the humans surrounding him. They could be so dense sometimes. Why not just be honest, come right out and say it? But then the Doctor glanced at Jack, and recalled how long it had taken him to give in to Jack's wants and needs, and his own, and he quirked his lips. There was something to be said for delayed gratification.

*****

Jack sighed, exasperatedly. Tony and Gibbs were perfect for each other, but they didn't seem to want to give in. What was wrong with those two? Jack would never understand why people who were attracted to each other would not act on it. He threw a glance to the Doctor, and his lover smiled at him for a brief moment, then nodded. Jack knew the Doctor well enough to know that meant a whole lot of things.

"You're right, Captain, they are perfect for each other, but they have trouble recognizing it. Well… I say perfect, but I mean they would be good. Well… Good… I mean wonderful. And I'm sorry I doubted you, I should have known you would be able to read them better than I could…"

And okay, maybe that last bit was wishful thinking on Jack's part, but he knew the Doctor, and he knew that quirk of lips, and he would take that over words of praise any day.

*****

"Care to dance, Tony?"

They had been sitting at their table for quite some time now, and Jack and Tony had been sharing stories the entire time while Gibbs and the Doctor listened and looked on, but the tension was getting to all of them, and Jack decided to break it for the sake of sanity. Tony looked surprised for a moment, glanced at Gibbs but got no response, then with a sad smile, nodded. Jack grasped Tony's hand and led him to the dance floor where a few couples were already joined in movement. 

As Jack gently took Tony into his arms and they started moving, he whispered to his former lover.

"I'm sorry, Tony. It couldn't be helped. I'd have left a note at least if I had gotten the chance, but…"

"It's alright, Jack. I'm used to it."

Jack pulled back a little to stare Tony in the face.

"What?!"

Tony sighed, and pulled Jack against him again, burying his face in the crook of the other man's neck, not caring who saw. He needed this.

"It's okay."

Tony whispered, and Jack strained to hear every word.

"I know I'm not worth it, not worth the trouble and the issues. It's really okay. It's okay that you left, I get it. Everyone does. It's okay."

Jack's immortal heart broke at the words softly whispered against the skin of his throat, and he stared over at his lover with anguish. The Doctor nodded, and turned to the silver haired man sitting next to him, Gibbs' blue eyes unwaveringly focused on the pair on the dance floor.

*****

"You love him."

"What?"

"You love him."

Gibbs stared at the strange man sitting beside him. The Doctor smirked.

"You might as well give in, you know. Resistance is futile. I've learned that much in my many years. Those boys will always get what they want in the end."

Gibbs glared at the man in the seat next to him. Many years? The man hardly looked old enough to remember… well, anything important, really. But then, as Gibbs stared into his eyes, he saw something old, something transcendental, something… knowing. Gibbs acceded to his gut, and nodded. 

"Is that a nod saying you realize that I'm older than I look, or a nod admitting that you love him?"

"I thought you were the quiet one?"

Gibbs' half smile didn't completely take the sting out of his words.

"Oh! I can be quiet, if I want! But I rarely want to! Well… I rarely get the chance to… Except when Jack is around. He is astounding. He's wonderful. He's amazing. He can talk more than me and still not tell you anything!"

Gibbs chuckled.

"Like DiNozzo, then."

The Doctor eyed him curiously.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I have a feeling he's different. Not so much much like Jack, but rather… exactly suited to your needs. If you're open to it."

Gibbs eyed the strange young-old man beside him for a moment, then nodded shortly. Without a second glance at the Doctor, Gibbs strode onto the dance floor and grasped Tony's hand, removing it from the Captain's, and softly tugged it with an intent look. Tony stared at him only a moment, then smiled at Jack who smiled back, and followed Gibbs to his car.


	2. Chapter 2

   
   
Captain Jack Harkness sported a broad smile as he watched Gibbs drag Tony out of the bar where they had been spending a pleasant evening together. Jack had a feeling Tony’s life was about to change for the better, and that made him happy for his friend. The soft admission from Tony while they had been dancing that everyone always left him had nearly broken Jack’s heart, and he had had to swallow away a sudden rush of guilt. Jack had left Tony too, without explanation and without saying goodbye, but it wasn’t like Jack could have told Tony that aliens were about to break through the Rift and Jack had to jump there with his Vortex Manipulator to save Cardiff from being overrun by little green monsters… Jack shook his head to himself, and then focused his attention on his lover.  
   
The Doctor sat at their table, watching Jack with a smile, and drained the last of his banana daiquiri, savoring the taste. Bananas were good. He saw Jack’s smile soften as he looked at the Doctor, and then get a gleam in his eyes. The Doctor sighed. He knew what was coming. He also knew he would give in. Anything to make Jack happy. Jack sauntered over to the Doctor and held out his hand with a grin.  
   
“Wanna dance, Doc?”  
   
“Don’t call me that.”  
   
Jack grinned wider.  
   
“Would you care to dance, Doctor?”  
   
“You know I don’t dance.”  
   
“On the contrary. I happen to know that you dance beautifully. Besides, I bought you a drink.”  
   
“You haven’t bought me anything, Captain, because we haven’t paid yet. And I’ll probably end up being the one to settle the tab.”  
   
“That’s because you love taking care of me.”  
   
The Doctor smiled softly at his lover.  
   
“That’s because I love you.”  
   
Jack’s smile softened even further, then turned sultry. Only Jack could pull that off, the Doctor thought.  
   
“One dance, Doctor? And then take me back to the TARDIS to show me exactly how much you love me?”  
   
Shaking his head in defeat, the Doctor took Jack’s outstretched hand and let himself be dragged to the dance floor. As Jack took the Doctor into his arms and started swaying, he whispered against the Doctor’s lips.  
   
“I love you too. And I’ll show you that in the TARDIS too.”  
   
The Doctor gave Jack a soft kiss, and let himself be led around the floor for a while before paying the bill and leading his lover back to the amazing blue box that was their home.  
   
*****  
   
Tony was silently nervous while Gibbs drove them home. He didn’t know exactly what was going to happen now, but the look Gibbs had given him before he dragged Tony to the car had sent shivers of desire down Tony’s spine. He could only hope that he wasn’t mistaken in reading that look, because if he didn’t get to kiss Gibbs soon, he was going to burst.  
   
Gibbs concentrated on the road, ignoring the nervousness rolling off of Tony for now. He hadn’t intended for this to happen, but during the evening he had felt his defenses against Tony crumble more and more, and knew he wouldn’t be able to resist any longer. When the Doctor had simply stated that Gibbs loved Tony, Gibbs had been surprised. He didn’t think anyone could see through him that easily, but the lanky man with the strangely old brown eyes apparently had. Gibbs wondered at that for a moment, the age he had seen in those eyes, and then realized that Captain Jack had that same look. Both men looked young, but their eyes told of a long life far beyond their apparent ages. Letting that thought go for now, Gibbs focused on Tony again.  
   
All during the evening Tony and Jack had been trying to outdo each other with their stories, launching into increasingly wild and elaborate tales. It had been amusing and Gibbs had even laughed a couple of times, and whenever Tony was the cause of his laughter, Gibbs had seen Tony’s eyes light up with pleasure. It was something Gibbs had noticed before, of course, but this evening Tony’s joy at being able to make Gibbs laugh had been abundantly clear. And then there were the looks Tony had given Gibbs a few times, which Gibbs was certain now were looks of longing. When Jack had taken Tony onto the dance floor and held him close, Gibbs had felt jealousy rise in himself at the clear and easy intimacy of the two, even when they hadn’t seen or spoken to each other for years. And when Tony had buried his face in Jack’s neck, Gibbs knew Tony must have said something the other man, because the pained look Jack shot the Doctor then had been telling. Gibbs wondered what Tony could have said that made Jack ache for him so clearly.  
   
When Gibbs pulled into the drive at his house and turned off the engine, they sat in silence for a few moments, then Gibbs spoke.  
   
“Are you coming inside, Tony?”  
   
Tony couldn’t hold back an amused little laugh.  
   
“Well, I didn’t think you were gonna make me sit out here for the rest of the night, Boss.”  
   
Gibbs smiled, and they both got out of the car and made their way inside.  
   
“Want another drink, Tony?”  
   
“Sure. Beer if you have it.”  
   
Gibbs got them each a beer and then settled on the couch, patting the seat next to him in invitation. They drank for a few moments, and then Gibbs turned to Tony.  
   
“What did you say to the Captain while you were dancing?”  
   
Tony’s eyes widened in surprise. He had not been expecting that.  
   
“Why?”  
   
“He looked at the Doctor with pain in his eyes. I was wondering why that was.”  
   
Tony closed his eyes for a few moments, debating with himself whether to tell Gibbs or not. But if he wanted something to happen between them, he decided he should be honest.  
   
“I didn’t mean to hurt him.”  
   
“I don’t think you did. It looked like he was hurting for you, not because of you.”  
   
That made Tony look at Gibbs, and the older man again saw surprise in his gaze. Gibbs sighed. Why did Tony always think the worst of himself? Then Tony took a deep breath and told Gibbs everything.  
   
“Jack and I… we were lovers once.”  
   
Looking at Gibbs to gauge his reaction, Tony saw the older man simply nod. Of course Gibbs would have deduced that already. Tony continued.  
   
“It was years ago, when I was just out of college. I met him and he just… well, he was irresistible. You’ve seen how charming he can be.”  
   
Gibbs smirked. Yes, he had definitely seen that.  
   
“We were together for three weeks, and then one morning I woke up and he was just gone. No note, nothing. I never heard from him again. While we were dancing tonight, he started to apologize for that. I told him it was fine, that everybody leaves me, so that he shouldn’t worry about it.”  
   
Gibbs studied Tony for a moment.  
   
“That wasn’t exactly what you said, was it, Tony? There had to be something more for him to look so pained.”  
   
Tony sighed.  
   
“I may have said that I knew I wasn’t worth the trouble.”  
   
Gibbs took another sip from his beer, and carefully studied his hands while he spoke.  
   
“Why do you do that, Anthony? Why do you always put yourself down?”  
   
Tony turned curious eyes on him, but Gibbs kept looking at his hands.  
   
“It’s just fact, Gibbs. No one has ever been willing to stick with me. So obviously there’s something wrong with me.”  
   
“I’m sticking with you, aren’t I?”  
   
“Yeah, but you kinda have to. You’re my Boss.”  
   
“Am I just that?”  
   
Gibbs heard Tony suck in his breath, and wondered whether he would get an honest answer. Tony’s voice was soft when at last he replied.  
   
“You don’t have to be.”  
   
“Don’t have to be your boss?”  
   
Tony swallowed.  
   
“Don’t have to be JUST my Boss.”  
   
Now Gibbs looked up and stared at Tony intently. Putting down his beer, he reached out his hand and tentatively brushed it through Tony’s hair. His voice was soft and husky.  
   
“What do you want, Tony? What do you see happening?”  
   
“I…”  
   
“Because I don’t want to ruin things between us. And with my track record, it’s pretty much a given that I will. And I don’t want to lose you.”  
   
Tony shivered under the intense gaze Gibbs was giving him.  
   
“Now who’s putting themselves down, Gibbs?”  
   
“Jethro.”  
   
Tony smiled.  
   
“Now who’s putting themselves down, Jethro?”  
   
Gibbs sighed, even through the quirk of his mouth at hearing his name from Tony lips without mockery.  
   
“Just being realistic.”  
   
“You forget that I know you. I know what I’m signing up for.”  
   
“Do you? Do you really? Because if we do this, I’m gonna want all of you, all the time. No escape.”  
   
Again Tony shivered.  
   
“That’s all I ever wanted, Jethro.”  
   
Gibbs studied Tony again, really looking at him, then put his hand on the back of Tony’s neck and drew him in. Tony almost panted in anticipation, his eyes flicking between Gibbs’ intense gaze and his lips coming closer and closer…  
   
When at last their lips met, time ceased to have meaning. Tony lost himself in the delicate touch of Gibbs’ lips nibbling at his own, and groaned in desire when Gibbs’ tongue demanded entrance to his mouth, which Tony gave very willingly. Bolts of lightning shot from Tony’s lips to his extremities, his fingers and toes tingling, and his arousal rising at an incredible pace. When Gibbs pulled back after long moments, Tony gave a displeased little whine, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Gibbs staring at him with desire. Tony reached up his hand and softly brushed his fingers over Gibbs’ cheek.  
   
“Jethro…? Do you… do you really have feelings for me? Or is this just…”  
   
Gibbs shut Tony up with a soft slap to the back of his head and then another kiss before the younger man could finish that sentence, pulling Tony close against him and pushing him back onto the couch, Gibbs half lying on top of him while he plundered Tony’s mouth. When at last Gibbs pulled back, Tony’s eyes were glazed over in desire and his breathing was rapid, his hands clinging to Gibbs’ side almost desperately. Gibbs smiled, satisfied with the result.  
   
“Now listen to me, Anthony.”  
   
Tony’s dazed gaze had trouble focusing on Gibbs for a few moments, but when Gibbs gave a sharp nip to the side of Tony’s neck, Tony shivered in pleasure and at last focused. Seeing he had Tony’s attention, Gibbs continued.  
   
“I would never use you like that. I would never hurt you like that. I want you because you’re beautiful and smart and funny, but most of all because I love you.”  
   
For long moments, Tony could only stare up at the man he had fallen in love with so long ago, and never thought he could have. Then a shy, small smile spread over his lips, his eyes soft with emotion.  
   
“Wow, Jethro… You don’t say much, but when you do talk… Wow.”  
   
Gibbs smiled again.  
   
“Don’t expect me to say it every day.”  
   
Tony’s smile turned into a grin.  
   
“Of course not. We wouldn’t want to talk about our feelings, would we? We’re manly men, after all!”  
   
Gibbs gave a soft chuckle, and watched as Tony expressive face turned from amused grin back into shy smile again.  
   
“Just so you know, I love you too.”  
   
“I know, Anthony.”  
   
This time, Tony’s hands curled into the front of Gibbs’ shirt and he pulled his lover back down, devouring Gibbs’ mouth with his own.  
   
*****  
   
Captain Jack groaned as he slowly rose from his knees to stand in front of his lover, kissing his way up the Doctor’s exposed chest until he reached his lips. Kissing the Doctor deeply, Jack caressed his lover while the Doctor’s breathing calmed. Jack grinned.  
   
“We’re really gonna have to do something about the console floor, Doctor. I love getting on my knees for you, but the pattern of the grating is gonna be etched into my skin for weeks to come.”  
   
The Doctor kissed Jack again, then started pulling him to their bedroom.  
   
“The TARDIS chooses her own form, you know that, Jack. So I can’t just ask her to change the floor, that would be rude. But I’ll make it up to you…”  
   
The Doctor didn’t have to look behind him to know that Jack was grinning madly and doing a little happy dance at that promise. He smiled. Sometimes Jack was so easily pleased.  
   
*****  
   
Tony sighed happily into the almost dark of the bedroom at the feeling of Gibbs’ arms curled around him, holding him tightly from behind, and Gibbs’ strong body pressed against his own. Gibbs’ even breathing told Tony that his lover was in a deep sleep, but though Tony was relaxed and sated, he couldn’t sleep. The events of the evening were too incredible to let him settle, his mind whirling with everything that had happened. Catching up with Jack, Gibbs taking him home, their talk, and everything that followed. His skin tingled with the memory of every kiss and touch Gibbs had given him, and his heart pounded in joy every time Tony played back in his mind what Gibbs had said, that Gibbs loved him. And then, after spending some more time on the couch, kissing and groping, Gibbs had taken Tony upstairs and showed him that he had meant it, making love to Tony for what seemed like hours before finally dropping off to sleep.  
   
Without moving and extracting himself from Gibbs’ strong, loving hold, Tony could just about reach his phone on the bedside table. Muting the sound and moving as little as possible in order not to disturb Gibbs, he quickly sent a text message.  
   
*****  
   
The beeping of his phone made Jack carefully extract himself from the Doctor’s limbs tangled around him, and he smiled when even in his sleep the Doctor followed the warmth of Jack’s body, staying close to him. Grabbing his phone, Jack settled back on the bed and let the Doctor drape himself over Jack again, pressing a soft kiss to his lover’s unruly hair. Then he unlocked his phone and read the message.  
   
~ He loves me, Jack! :)  
   
Jack smiled widely, even though he was not surprised. He had clearly seen the feelings and the bond between Tony and Gibbs, and the Doctor had seen it too. Apparently it was only Tony and Gibbs themselves who had been oblivious. He quickly texted back.  
   
~ Of course he does, Tony! What’s not to love?  
   
And then his irrepressible nature surfaced, and he sent another text immediately after the first one.  
   
~ So? How was it? Good I hope? :)  
   
Jack knew he was grinning lasciviously even though no one was witness to it, but he didn’t care. Tony’s response came within moments.  
   
~ Better than good! Fantastic!  
   
~ Tell me all about it then!  
   
~ I don’t kiss and tell, Captain.  
   
~ So there was kissing at least…?  
   
~ Oops :) Want to meet up again soon?  
   
~ You bet! Bring your ‘Boss’ too?  
   
~ He’s mine, Jack. You’re not touching him.  
   
~ Don’t worry. The Doctor keeps my hands full.  
   
~ I’m sure he does :) Call tomorrow?  
   
~ Talk to you then. Sweet dreams, Tony.  
   
~ Will do. You too :)  
   
*****  
   
Jack smiled as he put away his phone. He and the Doctor hadn’t planned on being in DC longer than a few hours in order to check out a disturbance on the TARDIS monitor, but meeting Tony again and helping his old friend find love had proven to be too good to pass up. They probably wouldn’t be here for more than a few days, but that didn’t matter. They had a time machine, after all, and they could fly off on their usual adventures, saving worlds and righting wrongs, and then return to this time and place to meet up with Tony and Gibbs again. Jack had left Tony behind once, and he swore to himself he wouldn’t do it again. Besides, Gibbs was just about as gorgeous as Tony, and Jack was pretty sure that if he spent some time working his charms on them, he could convince them and the Doctor into some double fun…  
   
“Stop it…!”  
   
The Doctor’s sleepy warning made Jack chuckle. Even while dozing, the Doctor knew exactly what his Captain was thinking. Dropping another kiss onto the Doctor’s head, Jack snuggled closer and drifted off into sleep with his lover.  
   
*****  
   
Tony carefully placed his phone back on the bedside table and settled a little deeper into his lover’s embrace, warmth and comfort surrounding him. A small shiver ran down his spine when he felt Gibbs’ lips pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.  
   
“Texting Jack?”  
   
“I thought you were asleep.”  
   
“I was. Woke up when I didn’t have your undivided attention anymore.”  
   
Tony smiled.  
   
“Don’t worry, Jethro. I’ll always be yours completely.”  
   
“Good. Now sleep.”  
   
And as always, Tony simply couldn’t disobey an order from Gibbs, and he immediately dozed off while Gibbs smiled and tightened his hold on his lover a little more.  
 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting a bit timey-wimey with this one...

   
Captain Jack laughed loudly as he rushed through the TARDIS doors and leaned over the console, trying to catch his breath. The Doctor was hot on his heels, laughing and grinning madly too. They took only a moment to try to shake the fuchsia raindrops from their hair and coats, and then the Doctor whirled around the console pushing buttons and pulling levers, sending them into the Time Vortex. Once they were safely suspended in the Vortex outside of time and space, they turned to each other and grinned again.  
   
“Did you have to do that, Doctor?”  
   
“No. But it was fun, wasn’t it?”  
   
The Doctor’s eyes twinkled, and Jack couldn’t help but laugh again. They had landed on this small insignificant planet looking for adventure, and they sure found it. The entire planet had looked like an Earth television show from the 1950s, everything in black and white and grey, and the inhabitants walked around with fake smiles plastered onto their faces, the tentacles that passed for hair tightly curled, everything sharply outlined. Even the sounds were like those from that era, the voices sounding weird, and when they heard one of the aliens laugh, it sounded tinny and fake. At first they had wandered round aimlessly, but then they noticed that they were being followed. It wasn’t long before they were apprehended and thrown in jail, on the charge of being in color. Apparently that wasn’t allowed here, where color was seen as the root of all evil.  
   
When they were brought before the court, the Doctor had tried to explain at first, and then had offered to leave so the locals wouldn’t be offended by their color anymore, but the aliens would have none of it. Jack and the Doctor hadn’t been worried, they had been in worse situations than this and waited to see what would happen next in good humor. But then the aliens brought the TARDIS into the court room and with some kind of strange device, forcibly started to remove her vivid blue color. The Doctor and Jack both could hear her pain through their telepathic link to the TARDIS, and that’s when the Doctor had had enough.  
   
Gone were the curious smile and the gentleness in the soft brown eyes, and instead of the Doctor, there stood the Oncoming Storm. Nobody threatened the TARDIS without consequences. The Doctor’s voice was soft as he delivered his judgment over the planet, and it sounded all the more menacing for it. Jack never ceased to be amazed that his normally gentle lover could turn into a dangerous being so quickly when faced with injustice or threats. When the Doctor strode out of the courtroom, Jack at his side, the aliens followed them outside to the courtyard, curious and worried at the same time. They doubted that the Doctor could deliver on his threat, after all, how could the stranger turn their planet fuchsia? Fuchsia, of all things, the most offensive color known to this planet?  
   
The Doctor used his sonic to follow the link between the device the aliens had used on the TARDIS to drain her color to the receptacle where the colors were stored. The color had to go somewhere, logically, and once outside, the Doctor quickly found the color containment facility. With a wicked grin, he aimed his sonic screwdriver, taking a few readings, and then focused the sonic on a specific part of the receptacle. It wasn’t long before a huge explosion blew away part of the facility, and the aliens gasped horrified when all the fuchsia they had contained there exploded into the sky, coloring the entire atmosphere. And then the Doctor aimed his sonic at the clouds, and made it rain.  
   
Most of the planet’s inhabitants scrambled for shelter in an attempt to avoid being tainted by the offensive color, but some of the braver ones turned to the Doctor and Jack threateningly. They smiled at each other and the Doctor grasped Jack’s hand, and said a single word.  
   
“Run!”  
   
They had made it back to the TARDIS just ahead of the locals, and now they were safely in the Vortex, and Jack turned to the Doctor. With a wide grin, he started removing the Doctor’s long brown coat which was now covered in fuchsia specs, then undid the Doctor’s tie and began to unbutton the jacket of the Doctor’s blue pinstripe suit. The Doctor just stood there with an amused grin while his lover undressed him. Running from furious locals always made Jack amorous. Well, if he were honest, anything made Jack amorous. And the Doctor didn’t mind at all.  
   
*****  
   
Tony stretched his arms and legs, and flexed his back, yawning widely while he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well, so peacefully. The fog of sleep suddenly clearing from his mind, he turned his head to find Gibbs staring at him with a smile, head propped up on his elbow, his gaze soft. Tony smiled.  
   
“Good morning, Jethro.”  
   
Gibbs leaned in and gave Tony a soft kiss.  
   
“Good morning, Tony.”  
   
When Gibbs pulled back from the kiss, Tony followed him, returning the kiss to his lover eagerly. Gibbs rolled onto his back and Tony draped himself over Gibbs’ chest, deepening the kiss and earning a delighted moan. Gibbs’ hands caressed over Tony’s back and sides, while Tony explored Gibbs’ chest with his hands and his mouth with his tongue, and they lost themselves in the sensations for a while before Tony finally pulled back. His eyes twinkled as he looked down at Gibbs.  
   
“Wanna take a shower with me?”  
   
Gibbs grinned.  
   
“You gonna wash my back, Tony?”  
   
Tony waggled his eyebrows.  
   
“I wanna wash your everything, Jethro.”  
   
With a laugh, Gibbs brushed his hand through Tony’s hair lovingly.  
   
“I like that plan.”  
   
Soft smiles on both their faces, they went to the bathroom to continue exploring each other under the pretense of getting clean.  
   
*****  
   
Jack watched the Doctor run his fingers through his hair, and smiled at the sight while he toweled himself dry. He didn’t know why the Doctor even bothered, his hair was always an amazingly charming mess, unlike Jack’s own, but in this case he had the feeling that it had more to do with the Doctor checking that all the fuchsia was gone than an actual attempt to tame his unruly locks. They had shed each other’s clothes on their way from the console to the bedroom, knowing that the TARDIS would take care of their attire, but when Jack had dragged the Doctor to the bed, his lover had instead steered them both to the bathroom, huffing something about washing off the ridiculous color first.  
   
“Hey, you were the one who made it rain fuchsia, Doctor!”  
   
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I like it! It was just the most offensive color to the aliens, that’s why I chose it.”  
   
“I kinda like it on you, Doctor.”  
   
Jack waggled his eyebrows and grinned. The Doctor grinned back.  
   
“You like anything on me…”  
   
Jack laughed.  
   
“True! Chocolate, whipped cream, honey, banana sauce… But mostly…”  
   
Jack gave the Doctor a deep kiss.  
   
“… me.”  
   
The Doctor moaned in desire, but remained resolute.  
   
“Shower first, Captain!”  
   
Then his tone softened.  
   
“And then you can be on me any way you want.”  
   
Now that was a compromise Jack could definitely live with and he followed his lover to the bathroom. Besides, showering with the Doctor was always fun too.  
   
Jack discarded his towel and stepped close to his lover, embracing the Doctor from behind. He pressed a soft kiss to the side of the Doctor’s neck and then rested his chin on the Doctor’s shoulder as he watched his lover tug at his hair.  
   
“It’s no use, you know. I’m just gonna mess up your hair again anyway.”  
   
The Doctor smiled and huffed at the same time. After a final tug, the Doctor dropped his hands and rested them on Jack’s, curled across his belly. Jack smiled back.  
   
“Satisfied?”  
   
The Doctor grinned that sexy smirk of his that always got Jack all hot and bothered.  
   
“Not yet, Captain.”  
   
Jack grinned too.  
   
“Then let me take you to bed, and I’ll soon fix that situation.”  
   
The Doctor’s face fell, but the teasing sparkle in his eyes told Jack it was pretend.  
   
“Soon? I was hoping for something long and hard…”  
   
Jack groaned and dragged his lover to bed, the Doctor smiling happily as he followed the Captain. Oh yeah, Jack may be the Captain of the Innuendo Squad, but the Doctor knew how to push buttons too…  
   
*****  
   
Tony glanced across the table again and couldn’t stop sporting a happy grin on his face. Gibbs was having the same trouble. They were sitting down to a hearty breakfast, well-deserved after the workout they had just had, and kept shooting each other heated and satisfied looks, both still a little disbelieving that they were actually here together at last. Gibbs made a sport of caressing Tony with his fingers every time they handed each other something, and Tony was having fun softly running his foot up Gibbs’ leg under the table, trying to worm his toes into the leg of Gibbs’ shorts, which made his lover chuckle. After breakfast, they settled on the couch with more coffee, but without the table between them acting as a barrier, the coffee was soon forgotten in favor of more kissing and touching. When at last they came up for air, Gibbs took a sip from his cup and winced. The coffee was cold, and he grumbled something about Tony making Gibbs forget everything that was important. Tony laughed.  
   
“I made you forget about coffee?? Wow, Jethro, you must really love me then!”  
   
Gibbs stared at his lover intently, not joining in the joke, but instead answering very seriously.  
   
“Yes, I do, Tony.”  
   
The intensity of the look and the tone of voice made Tony’s breath hitch and his heart flutter, and that just led to more kissing. They happily wasted the entire morning lost in each other.  
   
When at last they forced themselves to get up and do something, they started on the dishes. As Tony washed, Gibbs dried, but every time Gibbs reached for the next item, he brushed himself against Tony, reaching around him to put a mug in the cupboard, leaning against him as he put away a plate. When finally everything was done and put away, Tony stood at the sink with Gibbs wrapped around him from behind, shivering in desire at the kisses Gibbs was giving his neck, until at last Tony turned around and took Gibbs’ mouth. After long moments, Tony pulled himself away from Gibbs and cleared his throat a few times before he managed to speak.  
   
“So… What do you wanna do today?”  
   
Gibbs’ look told Tony exactly what his lover wanted to do, and a blush crept up Tony’s cheeks. Gibbs grinned, cupped Tony’s burning cheeks with his hands and gave him a soft kiss. Gibbs’ tone was hopeful.  
   
“Go back to bed?”  
   
Tony smiled, and followed his lover up the stairs happily.  
   
   
It was that evening as they were lounging in the last of the day’s sunshine on the deck in the back yard, beer in hand and stomachs full of delicious steak, that Tony remembered he and Jack had agreed to call today. Taking out his phone, Tony quickly found Jack’s number and placed the call. The phone was silent for a very long time before at last the signal came through that it was trying to connect. Several rings later, Tony got voicemail.  
   
“Hi, this is Captain Jack Harkness! I’m probably running for my life right now, so that’s why I’m not answering. But don’t worry, I always come back. So leave a message and I’ll give you a call as soon as I have breath in my body again.”  
   
Tony held out the phone and stared at the screen for a few moments. Weird voicemail message… Shrugging, he brought the phone back to his face.  
   
“Hey Jack, it’s Tony! You run for your life that often? You’ll have to tell me more about that. So give me a call soon, okay?”  
   
At Gibbs’ questioning look, Tony told him the contents of the voicemail message. They both looked thoughtful for a few moments, then shrugged it off, taking another sip of beer. They would ask Jack about that next time they met up. Gibbs reached out and took Tony’s hand, playing with his fingers while they leaned back and relaxed.  
   
“I was gonna go to the cabin tomorrow. Haven’t been there in a while, need to check everything’s okay. You wanna come with, Tony?”  
   
Tony’s eyes lit up with pleasure. He was fascinated with the cabin, same as he had always been fascinated with the boats in Gibbs’ basement. It was rugged and manly and so completely Gibbs, and Tony loved that about him.  
   
“I’d love to.”  
   
Gibbs smiled.  
   
“We still have two days of downtime left. Wanna stay at the cabin tomorrow night, maybe do some fishing?”  
   
“As long as I can sleep on a real mattress, not that single cot of yours…”  
   
Tony said it with a grin, and Gibbs couldn’t help but smile again.  
   
“I’ve got an air mattress we can take there. Is that good enough?”  
   
“Will you share it with me?”  
   
“Of course. I have no intention of ever falling asleep again without holding you in my arms.”  
   
Tony drew their interlaced fingers to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Gibbs’ hand.  
   
“That sounds wonderful. Wanna start right now?”  
   
Gibbs grinned, pulling Tony up and inside and up the stairs. It was a long time after that when they finally went to sleep, but Gibbs kept his promise, and held Tony in his arms the entire time.  
   
*****  
   
Jack woke up in his favorite position, on his back with the Doctor snuggled into his side, the Doctor’s arm hugging his chest and his face buried in the crook of Jack’s neck. Turning his head to look at his lover, Jack smiled at the tangled strands of the Doctor’s hair. Jack had kept his promise and had messed up the Doctor’s hair really well, and he had certainly taken his time doing it. At last the Doctor had sighed happily, cradling Jack who was lying on top of him, giving him soft kisses in the afterglow. Jack had smiled softly.  
   
“Satisfied now?”  
   
“Very satisfied, Captain. Give yourself a gold star.”  
   
“I’ll take any star you’re willing to give me, Doctor.”  
   
“I want to give you them all.”  
   
Jack still marveled at the deep love he saw in the Doctor’s eyes, and even in moments like these, still couldn’t believe how lucky he was that the Doctor had finally given in all those years ago and loved Jack back. Jack’s voice was soft and full of emotion.  
   
“Thank you.”  
   
The Doctor just smiled and brushed his hand gently over Jack’s cheek, and then they had settled under the covers and fallen asleep in a loving embrace.  
   
When they were at last sitting down for breakfast, Jack checked his phone and saw he had a voicemail. Thanks to the upgrade the Doctor had given his phone years ago, Jack could be reached literally anytime, anywhere, even if a call would take some time to connect when they were in the Time Vortex. And the upgrade also included an increased battery life so the phone wouldn't have to be recharged for another couple of years or so. Jack grinned. The Doctor was good with things like that. Unlocking the phone, Jack accessed the message.  
   
“Hey Jack, it’s Tony! You run for your life that often? You’ll have to tell me more about that. So give me a call soon, okay?”  
   
Damn! In all the fuchsia commotion and their subsequent activities – Jack grinned to himself again – he had forgotten he’d promised to call Tony. And he’d also forgotten the silly voicemail message he’d programmed into his phone. Almost everyone who ever called Jack knew about him and the Doctor and their strange lives, so Jack knew they’d understand the little jokes in his message. But Tony didn’t know. Jack shrugged. They would make something up to explain it to Tony when it came to it.  
   
“Doctor?”  
   
The Doctor hummed around a mouthful of chips. Jack shook his head exasperatedly at the sight. Chips for breakfast. Chips for lunch. Chips for dinner. Chips as a midnight snack. His lover would eat chips anytime, and still remained as skinny as ever. Of course, that could also have something to do with all the running and other physical activities Jack and the Doctor did together whenever they had the chance. Jack smiled.  
   
“Tony called. Wanna go see him and Gibbs? Spend some time together?”  
   
The Doctor nodded.  
   
“Sure. It’s been a couple of months since we’ve seen them.”  
   
“Couple of months for us, yesterday for them.”  
   
Again the Doctor nodded. He knew that of course, being a Time Lord and all.  
   
“I like them. Tony reminds me of you, and Gibbs is fascinating. I think Gibbs would have made a good Time Lord. He has a strong sense of justice written all over him, but it’s his own kind of justice. And that’s what a Time Lord needs to have to do a proper job.”  
   
The Captain stared at his lover. Sometimes Jack just couldn’t predict what kind of thoughts were going through the Doctor’s mind. Then again, that was part of what made him so fascinating. He smiled.  
   
“Tony reminds you of me? How?”  
   
“Handsome, flirty, funny, smart, and always ready to follow the leader.”  
   
The Doctor’s grin was wicked when he said the last part, and Jack laughed loudly. But even though it was said in good humor, Jack knew there was truth to it as well. He would always follow the Doctor, anytime, anyplace, anywhere and in anything, for as long as the Doctor let him. Giving the Doctor a quick kiss, Jack picked up his phone again and called Tony.  
   
“DiNozzo.”  
   
“Hey Tony, it’s Jack!”  
   
“Jack, hi!”  
   
“Sorry I missed you call, Tony. We were a little occupied when you called.”  
   
“Running for your lives?”  
   
Jack heard the amused curiosity in Tony’s question, and chuckled. When he replied, he made sure Tony could hear the lascivious smirk in his voice.  
   
“No, that came before. The Doctor came next. I came last.”  
   
Tony laughed. Jack watched his lover across the table rolling his eyes, but still getting an adorable little blush on his cheeks.  
   
“Alright, alright! Enough of that, Jack! Unless you wanna share details…”  
   
This time Jack could hear the dirty grin in Tony’s voice.  
   
“Yeah? You wanna compare notes, Tony?”  
   
Still chuckling, Tony responded.  
   
“I don’t think Jethro would appreciate that.”  
   
“Jethro, eh? Things moving fast with you two?”  
   
“It’s amazing, Jack. He’s amazing.”  
   
Tony’s tone softened.  
   
“I really love him, Jack. And he loves me too. I still can’t believe it.”  
   
“I’m happy for you, Tony. We’re both happy for the two of you.”  
   
“Thanks.”  
   
“So… Wanna meet up again? We were thinking of joining you this afternoon, maybe? Talk some more, get something to eat?”  
   
“I’d like that. Hang on a moment…”  
   
Jack heard Tony exchange a few words with Gibbs, and then Tony was back on the phone.  
   
“We’re going to Gibbs’ cabin today, stay the night there. If you two wanna join us there, that would be great.”  
   
“Sounds perfect! Send me the details where we can find this cabin, and we’ll be there.”  
   
“You don’t need to check with the Doctor first? The cabin is a bit… rustic.”  
   
Jack laughed.  
   
“Don’t worry! The Doctor is always ready for an adventure, any kind of adventure!”  
   
“Great! We’ll see you this afternoon then. I’ll text you the details.”  
   
“Looking forward to it, Tony. See you later!”  
   
The Doctor grinned as Jack disconnected the call.  
   
“An adventure?”  
   
“They’re staying at Gibbs’ cabin a couple of days. Tony’s says it’s ‘rustic’.”  
   
The Doctor’s eyes sparkled with pleasure.  
   
“A cabin? Haven’t spent much time in one of those… Space ports, dark caves, air pockets, space ships, water bubbles, ice palaces, yes, but a cabin? Nope.”  
   
“Don’t worry, it’s about the company. And besides, we can always retreat to the TARDIS if you don’t like it.”  
   
“I’m not worried! And I’m sure I’ll love it! A cabin!”  
   
Jack waited. It came as he had expected.  
   
“Jack?”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
“What is a cabin?”  
   
Jack laughed and kissed his lover, but didn’t bother to explain. The Doctor would see it soon enough, and Jack knew better than to spoil the Doctor’s pleasure at discovering something new by telling him upfront.  
 


	4. Chapter 4

   
   
Tony was woken up by wet kisses being placed on the side of his neck, and he moaned in pleasure at the feeling of the kisses and of Gibbs’ strong arms around him. The diffused light in the bedroom told him it was still incredibly early, but where normally Tony would have complained about the ungodly hour, being woken by Gibbs with kisses made all his displeasure vanish at once. Besides, they were going to the cabin, so Tony was looking forward to the day ahead. But first things first. Turning around in his lover’s embrace, Tony captured Gibbs’ mouth in a deep and languid kiss, rubbing their bodies together and caressing Gibbs with his hands.  
   
“Good morning. Do we have to get up yet?”  
   
Gibbs smiled.  
   
“Nope. I made sure we had some time for pleasure first.”  
   
“Good. I like the way you think.”  
   
Sharing another kiss, he continued.  
   
“I like the way you taste too. And the way you feel. And the way…”  
   
Whatever else Tony had been about to say was lost in another kiss, and then in long, low, drawn out moans of desire while Gibbs showed Tony that he liked everything about Tony too.  
   
Tony was still enjoying the sated feeling making his limbs heavy, his head resting on Gibbs’ chest, when his phone started to ring. For a moment he contemplated letting it go to voicemail, but then he remembered it might be Jack. Grabbing the phone, he picked up, and a short conversation and a quick text later, they had agreed to meet up with Jack and the Doctor at the cabin later that day.  
   
They arrived at the cabin still early in the morning, and while Gibbs did a quick check of the cabin for any damages, Tony started unloading their supplies. Together they put away the food and drinks they’d brought, and after a quick sweep and clean up, Tony started inflating the air mattress Gibbs had promised him. Gibbs was outside assembling the lounge chairs they had brought, because Tony had no intention of sitting on a tree stump for two days, and besides, the Doctor and Jack would probably appreciate something more comfortable than that to sit on as well. Gibbs was interrupted in his task when Tony had finished with the mattress and insisted they test it, and Gibbs didn’t mind the interruption at all.  
   
Tony was sitting on one of the already assembled chairs and watching Gibbs put together the third of the four they had brought, when he heard a strange wheezing sound in the distance. He tried to pinpoint what it was, but he had never heard a sound like that before, so he shrugged and returned to watching his lover be all handy and manly, putting together furniture. A few minutes later, Tony heard Jack’s cheerful voice yelling his name, and they both looked up to see the Doctor and Jack come sauntering down the path towards the cabin. Jack was waving one arm in greeting, the Doctor was looking around, hands in the pockets of his blue pinstripe suit, his long brown coat billowing behind him in the warm breeze.  
   
*****  
   
Jack showed the Doctor Tony’s text with the details to the cabin, and the Doctor whirled around the console pulling levers and pushing buttons to set the appropriate coordinates in time and space. Neither man noticed the minute changes the TARDIS made all by herself to make sure that her Doctor and her Captain indeed arrived when and where they wanted to go. If she had had a face, she would have grinned. She loved her Doctor, but even after all their centuries together, he could still be sloppy with her controls, which is why she so often intervened and brought the Doctor where he was needed. The TARDIS’ engines wheezed as she materialized a little way away from the cabin, out of sight of the humans who would be startled by the sudden appearance of a blue Police Box in the middle of the woods.  
   
The Doctor checked the monitor and after deciding they had indeed reached their intended destination, shrugged on his coat, Jack doing the same. After a quick kiss, the Doctor opened the door and motioned for Jack to follow him.  
   
“Allons-y, Captain!”  
   
After a few minutes walking, the Doctor somewhat disappointed by the normality of the woods they were traversing, a structure came into view, and they recognized Tony and Gibbs next to it. Jack called out and waved, and the Doctor took another glance at the trees to see if he could find anything interesting. The two men at the cabin stood as Jack and the Doctor approached, and both were greeted with a handshake, Tony and Jack hugging each other again after. The Doctor studied the structure for a few moments, then turned to Jack with a questioning look.  
   
“Is this what you call a cabin, Captain?”  
   
Jack grinned. The Doctor’s tone was disappointed.  
   
“You could have just said it was a hut, you know.”  
   
“It isn’t.”  
   
The Doctor turned to Gibbs, who had uttered the refute, and raised one eyebrow in question. Jack and Tony looked on and listened in amusement for a couple of minutes as Gibbs explained the difference between a cabin and a hut, and the Doctor adamantly argued that the two things were in fact the same. When the discussion became ridiculous, Tony laughed and grabbed the Doctor’s arm, pulling him towards the cabin.  
   
“Come on, Doctor. I’ll show you the inside.”  
   
Jack and Gibbs followed them, and Jack grinned when he heard the Doctor’s response to Tony.  
   
“Is it bigger than the outside?”  
   
Tony looked puzzled for a moment.  
   
“Of course not.”  
   
The Doctor gave a little superior smile.  
   
“My ship is.”  
   
“You have a ship? Gibbs likes boats too.”  
   
Tony decided to let the remark about it being bigger on the inside go for now. The Doctor shook his head.  
   
“Not that kind of ship.”  
   
When no further information was forthcoming, Tony shrugged and brought the Doctor inside, the others following. The Doctor scanned the cabin with his eyes first, then walked around and started to touch things, bringing his finger to his mouth to taste as well every now and then. Jack looked amused, Gibbs looked intrigued, Tony looked bewildered. Jack leaned over Tony’s shoulder and whispered in his ear.  
   
“Don’t worry. He’s always like that. Kind of has an oral fixation. Which I love, by the way.”  
   
Tony looked at him and grinned.  
   
“I’m sure you do.”  
   
“I see what you meant by rustic. The mattress is your contribution, I take it?”  
   
Tony nodded.  
   
“I’m sure as hell not gonna sleep on that cot.”  
   
Jack shrugged.  
   
“I’ve slept in worse places. But air mattresses are so much more fun to share with your lover, aren’t they. All bouncy and wobbly.”  
   
A faint blush crept up Tony’s cheeks, and Jack grinned.  
   
“You already tested that, I see.”  
   
Despite himself, Tony grinned back. Jack whispered again.  
   
“Details?”  
   
“Later.”  
   
*****  
   
Once the Doctor’s ever present curiosity had been satisfied, they went back outside where Gibbs immediately resumed assembling the chair he had been working on. The Doctor looked on with interest and offered a hand.  
   
“Can I help?”  
   
“Only if you have a screwdriver on you. I only have the one.”  
   
“I do, actually.”  
   
When Gibbs looked up, the Doctor produced a device from one of his coat pockets. Gibbs raised an eyebrow.  
   
“Strange kind of screwdriver.”  
   
The Doctor sounded offended.  
   
“It’s sonic!”  
   
Tony grinned. He didn’t recognize the device as a screwdriver either, and had no idea what a sonic screwdriver was, but one thing he did know.  
   
“Jethro only works with hand tools, Doctor, nothing electric or… sonic.”  
   
Shrugging, the Doctor put his screwdriver back in his pocket and started asking Gibbs questions about his hand tools.  
   
Jack removed his greatcoat and hung it over the back of one of the already assembled chairs, then nudged Tony.  
   
“Come on, we’ll leave them to it, and you can show me around.”  
   
When Jack took Tony’s hand and started leading him away, he heard a soft growl from behind him. Looking back, he saw Gibbs’ eyes fixed on their clasped hands with a scowl on his face. Grinning, Jack released Tony’s hand and held up his own in mock surrender. Tony softly smiled at Gibbs, and then he and Jack started walking towards the little lake.  
   
“Possessive, isn’t he?”  
   
Tony smiled again.  
   
“He doesn’t share, Jack.”  
   
“Pity! We could have had so much fun together, the four of us…”  
   
When Tony looked at him, Jack waggled his eyebrows. Tony laughed. Jack turned serious.  
   
“He’s good to you?”  
   
“He is, Jack. He really loves me. It’s amazing.”  
   
“Good. Things are progressing nicely then?”  
   
Tony grinned.  
   
“I think we’re already passed the ‘progressing’ stage, and jumped straight into full relationship mode. Once Jethro makes up his mind, there’s no stopping him.”  
   
“And you’re good with that?”  
   
“Yeah… yeah, I am. I’ve loved him for a long time, Jack. He’s all I want.”  
   
“So… details?”  
   
Jack sounded hopeful, and Tony laughed.  
   
“All I’ll tell you is that he’s a great kisser, and he loves working with his hands.”  
   
Jack laughed too.  
   
“I get that. He’s pretty intense, right?”  
   
“Yeah, but the good kind of intense. Yesterday we spent the entire day… well…”  
   
Tony blushed a little, and Jack grinned at him.  
   
“I see… I love days like that.”  
   
“Me too… it was wonderful. It was like he couldn’t get enough of me. He spent the entire day touching me, kissing me, loving me. And he lets me love him in return.”  
   
Jack wanted to make sure one more time.  
   
“He’s careful with you? I know I was your first guy, and I have the feeling you didn’t have many after me. He’s not forcing anything? He’s letting you get used to it?”  
   
Tony smiled softly at the concern his old friend was showing for him.  
   
“You were my first, and Gibbs is my second and last. He’s incredibly patient and very careful, maybe a bit too careful. But I’m sure I can convince him a little rougher can be good too.”  
   
Satisfied, Jack went along with Tony’s grinned last remark.  
   
“Oh yeah… I remember this one time, the Doctor and I…”  
   
And as they walked around the small lake, Jack told many stories of his sexual prowess, and had Tony in stitches with the absurdity of his tales.  
   
*****  
   
The Doctor looked amused at the growl that Gibbs gave when he saw Jack holding Tony’s hand. Jack was always touching the people who were close to him, and the Doctor was used to it, but he could see that Gibbs wasn’t going to allow that with Tony. The Doctor nodded to himself. He liked this man. The Doctor asked questions about tools and the chairs and the cabin, and Gibbs’ answers were short and to the point. When the last chair was assembled, Gibbs carefully put away his screwdriver, and turned to the Doctor.  
   
“You want a drink?”  
   
“Do you have a banana daiquiri?”  
   
Gibbs smirked.  
   
“Tony could probably make you one when they get back, but all I can offer is a beer.”  
   
The Doctor wrinkled his nose in distaste.  
   
“Do you have tea?”  
   
“Teabags okay for you?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Gibbs went inside and fetched the kettle and teabags, then started building a fire in the fire pit in front of the cabin. Again the Doctor offered his help, but Gibbs waived it off. Within minutes, Gibbs had a fire going nicely, and he placed the kettle in the flames to boil the water for the Doctor’s tea. While they waited, Gibbs sat back with a beer.  
   
“Thank you.”  
   
The Doctor glanced at Gibbs, surprised by the words.  
   
“For what?”  
   
“For what you said two nights ago.”  
   
“Which part?”  
   
Gibbs smirked. He wasn’t going to repeat it.  
   
“It gave me the last push towards Tony. I’m grateful for that.”  
   
“Ah, that! Well… anyone could see you two belong together, so you would have gotten there eventually. But I dislike people who waste time. Time is a precious thing, even when you can bend it to your will.”  
   
“You’re pretty strange, you know that?”  
   
The Doctor laughed, not in the least bit offended.  
   
“You’re not the first to tell me that.”  
   
“You’re older than you look. So is the Captain.”  
   
The Doctor’s laughter turned into an amused chuckle as he turned to look at Gibbs.  
   
“You’re quite perceptive.”  
   
“Have to be, in my job.”  
   
Hearing the water start to boil, Gibbs got up and poured a mug, handing it to the Doctor and pointing to the teabags. The Doctor nodded in thanks, fixed his tea, and sipped at the scalding brew. Gibbs knew the Doctor wasn’t going to explain any further if Gibbs didn’t push him for it, but Gibbs wasn’t sure he actually wanted to know. He had a feeling that the Doctor’s explanation would lead to things that Gibbs wouldn’t be comfortable with knowing. After another assessing glance at the Doctor, Gibbs nodded to himself, sipped at his beer, and leaned back in his chair. The Doctor smiled. Yes, he liked this man. Gibbs knew himself, and the Doctor appreciated that. He leaned back as well, and the two enjoyed the silence while they could, knowing that as soon as Tony and Jack returned, the silence would be filled with incessant talking again. But both men also secretly looked forward to that, even if they would never tell their respective lovers.  
   
*****  
   
When Jack and Tony came back into view, approaching the cabin, Jack was gesticulating wildly as he was talking, and Tony was holding his stomach, almost doubling over with laughter. The Doctor smiled. From Jack’s movements, the Doctor knew exactly which story Jack was telling, and while the Doctor once might have found it embarrassing to feature openly in Jack’s stories about his sex life, he had long since gotten over that. They both settled into chairs and Gibbs got them each a beer, Jack accepting it with a grateful nod, and Tony with a kiss. When Gibbs softly brushed his hand through Tony’s hair, the Doctor and Jack smiled at each other and nodded. They both had a good feeling about Tony and Gibbs, clearly seeing the love between the two.  
   
After a while, Tony went inside to get things for lunch, and Gibbs roasted hot dogs over the fire while Tony prepared the buns and fixings. The Doctor eyed the hot dogs warily.  
   
“No chips?”  
   
“Sorry, Doctor. No fryer here. No electricity.”  
   
“Try the hot dog, Doctor. I’m sure you’ll like it.”  
   
After a tentative bite the Doctor admitted that he did, and he quickly wolfed down three more, but he didn’t like the buns so he ate them without. The way the Doctor let the sausages slide between his lips was almost obscene, and Tony grinned at Jack who was looking at the spectacle longingly, clearly imagining something else. After his third hot dog, the Doctor looked at Jack and winked, and Tony knew that the Doctor had done all that on purpose to rile up his lover. Gibbs saw it too, and exchanged an amused smirk with Tony.  
   
After lunch, they got more beers and Tony did indeed make banana daiquiri’s for the Doctor, having remember that that was all the Doctor had been drinking at the bar two nights ago, so Tony had arranged for supplies for the drink after they had agreed to meet here today. They spent the entire afternoon and late into the evening talking, swapping more stories, and the Doctor joined in now too, but Gibbs and Tony both sensed that the tales Jack and the Doctor shared were heavily edited. They just couldn’t figure out what was being left out.  
   
When at last it was getting dark, Jack and the Doctor glanced at each other and announced that it was time to go. Tony looked a little disappointed.  
   
“I thought you were staying over too?”  
   
Jack shook his head.  
   
“You really don’t want us to, Tony. You and Gibbs have things to do, and so do the Doctor and I.”  
   
The dirty grin that accompanied the statement clearly implied what kind of things Jack was talking about. His grin grew even dirtier.  
   
“Unless the two of you would reconsider about sharing?”  
   
Gibbs growled. Tony shook his head. The Doctor huffed.  
   
“Come on, Captain, time to go. We can come back tomorrow if you want.”  
   
Jack gave Tony a questioning look, and Tony nodded.  
   
“I’d like that.”  
   
“Then we’ll be back tomorrow. Have fun you two!”  
   
Tony grinned after his friend and the Doctor as he watched them walk away, then sighed contentedly when Gibbs dragged him into his arms and kissed him hungrily. They were still exploring each other’s mouths when a few minutes later they heard that strange wheezing sounds again from the direction the Doctor and Jack had disappeared into, but they paid it no attention. They had more important things to do. Gibbs quickly put out the fire and dragged Tony inside, eager to experience the interesting bounce and wobble of the air mattress again.  
   
*****  
   
As soon as the Doctor had put the TARDIS into the Time Vortex, Jack was on him. Grabbing the lapels of the Doctor’s suit, Jack held him close and devoured his lover’s mouth. When at last he pulled back and rested his forehead against the Doctor’s, he swallowed before he spoke.  
   
“Now, Doctor. That thing you were doing with the hot dogs…”  
   
The Doctor grinned.  
   
“Lead the way, Captain.”  
   
*****  
   
“Maybe we should think about getting an air mattress at home too. I kinda like it.”  
   
Gibbs grinned down at Tony as he said it, and he saw Tony’s eyes widen. It was the following morning and Gibbs had woken Tony up with kisses, which inevitably led to more. He was still pinning Tony down, Tony’s arms wrapped around him, and he had been giving Tony long, slow kisses before he pulled back and made the remark.  
   
“What is it, Tony? What did I say?”  
   
Tony’s eyes were filled with emotion when he softly replied.  
   
“You said at home…”  
   
“Yeah…?”  
   
“Our home?”  
   
Understanding, Gibbs kissed Tony again before he replied.  
   
“Of course. Never falling asleep without you in my arms again, remember?”  
   
Tony’s smile could have lit up the entire planet, and then he rolled them over and started showing Gibbs how much he loved him again.  
   
*****  
   
Jack woke up when the Doctor shot upright in bed, the sudden movement jostling the Captain’s body just as an alarm started blaring.  
   
“What’s that?”  
   
The Doctor grinned at his lover.  
   
“An adventure, Captain!”  
   
Quickly getting out of bed and grabbing their clothes, they dressed while they ran to the console room, both grinning madly. The Doctor did a quick check of the monitors, then flipped a few switches and turned to his lover with sparkling eyes. Just as he flipped the last switch, the Doctor exclaimed.  
   
“Allons-y!”  
   
Jack just laughed as the TARDIS took them to where they were needed.  
   
 


	5. Chapter 5

   
   
After a late and lazy breakfast, Gibbs took Tony out onto the little lake for a spot of fishing. It didn't take long for Tony to realize that fishing really wasn't his thing, but to humor Gibbs, he tried to distract his mind from his boredom by thinking about everything they had been doing for the last few days. The thoughts kept him occupied for a while, but about half an hour later, Tony gave up. He just couldn't sit there any longer staring at the tiny piece of cork bobbing on the water. The sitting still made his skin itch and his muscles cramp, and the restlessness took over his body increasingly. Yes, he gave up. With careful movements to keep the little boat from wobbling too much, Tony took off his t-shirt and draped himself over the benches until he had found a somewhat comfortable position, resting his head in Gibbs' lap.   
   
Gibbs smiled. He was impressed that Tony had lasted as long as he had. When Tony reeled in his line and tucked away the rod, then spread out in the boat and placed his head in Gibbs' lap, the silver haired man couldn't help but caress his lover. When Tony had settled, Gibbs had reached out his free hand and started tracing slow, soft circles over Tony's bare chest. He loved touching Tony, and the calloused pads of his fingers tingled at the feeling of Tony's naked skin.  
   
Oh yeah, THIS Tony could do for hours… Just lying there and letting Gibbs caress him while the sun warmed his skin. Tony almost purred in contentment.  
   
It was just about two hours later when they heard that strange wheezing sound again. They glanced at each other, and Gibbs started to reel in his line, then rowed them slowly back to the little jetty in front of the cabin. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, the Doctor and Jack came walking down the path towards them. The Doctor was limping a little, but Jack looked completely unscathed. For a moment Tony thought that they had just overdone it last night, but the Doctor's limp didn't seem like one caused by holding an awkward position for too long. Jack and the Doctor looked tired, and not just from lack of sleep. And when they came closer, both Gibbs and Tony recognized a weariness in the two that told a different tale. Something had happened, and it had clearly affected the Doctor and Jack. But what kind of trouble could they have gotten into in a single night?  
   
*****  
   
"What?"  
   
The Doctor looked at the monitor at the TARDIS console and furrowed his brow while trying to button his shirt without looking.  
   
"What??"  
   
The exclamation from the Doctor was less questioning now and more incredulous. His fingers nimbly fixed his tie while his eyes were glued to the monitor. Jack, pulling his braces into place while he moved, came to stand next to the Doctor and stared at the monitor too.  
   
"What?!!"  
   
This time, the Doctor's voice held anger too, and Jack swallowed. He recognized the image on the screen, something he had hoped he would never ever see again. But there it was, and he understood immediately why the TARDIS' alarms had sounded and woken them up from their sated sleep. It couldn't be. But the Doctor's expression told Jack that it really was. How was this possible? They had taken care of that years ago, hadn't they? How did they always manage to come back? And then a sound transmitted through the TARDIS' console, and it froze the blood in both their veins.  
   
"EXTERMINATE!"  
   
*****  
   
Jack stepped onto the jetty as Gibbs directed the little boat next to it, and held out his hand to steady Tony as he stepped from the boat onto the jetty while Gibbs tied off the boat. The Doctor had opted to settle into one of the chairs set out in front of the cabin, and barely managed a tired smile and a greeting when Tony came over. Gibbs and Jack followed, and Jack dropped ungraciously into another chair, closing his eyes and leaning back his head. With another glance, Tony and Gibbs agreed that something was going on, and without words they went inside and got supplies for coffee and tea and a light snack.  
   
While Gibbs built a fire in the fire pit, Tony started setting out food. The Doctor and Jack were grateful to their friends that they left them in peace for the moment, instead of bombarding them with questions. Tony and Gibbs both clearly had seen something was wrong. Perhaps they should have stayed on the TARDIS a few days longer, but both Jack and the Doctor had felt the need for distraction, and so they had decided to go visit their friends.  
   
All four of them relaxed in the sunshine while they waited for the water to boil, and then Tony made coffee for the three of them and tea for the Doctor. They drank and ate in silence for a while, and the Doctor and Jack smiled happily when they saw that Tony leaned back against Gibbs comfortably instead of sitting in his own chair, Gibbs' arm wrapped around Tony’s naked chest and his fingers running lazy circles of over the bare skin. Their friends were obviously happy, and that pleased them greatly. Tony and Gibbs smiled when they saw both the Doctor and Jack nod off to sleep.  
   
*****  
   
“How is this possible, Doctor?”  
   
“I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out!”  
   
And the Doctor started flipping switches to set the coordinates and set the TARDIS moving in pursuit of the ship on the monitor. Jack’s mind was reeling, and a shiver ran down his spine. He had hoped to never see that image again, too many bad memories attached to it. Daleks…  
   
As it turned out, the Dalek ship had escaped the Time Lock by accident, and the Daleks on board were unaware that the Time War was over. They were hell bent on continuing the war, not believing that the Time Lords were gone, and Jack and the Doctor spent four days in pursuit, trying to stop the Daleks. They eventually made it onto the Dalek ship, but rather than surrender to the Doctor, the Daleks decided to blow up their own ship with the Doctor inside of it in an attempt to destroy the Time Lord. While the Doctor and Jack ran for their lives back to the TARDIS and safety, the Daleks had cornered them, and the Doctor had gotten hurt by falling debris from the exploding ship. Seeing one of the Daleks lock its eyestalk onto the Doctor, Jack had jumped in front of him and taken the ray instead. With great effort, the Doctor managed to drag Jack’s dead body onto the TARDIS and dematerialized them into safety. Once they were in the Time Vortex, the Doctor sat on the console floor, cradling Jack’s lifeless body in his arms, rocking him gently.  
   
“Come on, Jack… Come back to me, Captain…”  
   
The Doctor whispered the soft plea over and over again, waiting worriedly. Was this it? Was this the one thing Jack couldn’t survive? Death by Dalek had been the cause of his strange condition originally, could it be that it was the one thing that could destroy him? Minutes turned into hours, and the Doctor was getting more desperate with every passing moment. It never took this long.  
   
It felt to the Doctor like he had been sitting there with Jack’s body in his arms for days, even though his sense of time told him just over three hours had passed, when suddenly a violent intake of breath made Jack sit up. The Doctor’s hearts jumped with relief, and he soothed a bewildered Jack as the Captain regained his bearings.  
   
“Shhh… It’s okay, it’s okay, Jack. You’re back. Shhh…”  
   
At last Jack settled enough to register his lover, and he frantically ran his hands over the Doctor’s body to see if he was alright. The Doctor winced when Jack touched his leg, not even realizing until then that he was hurt in his worry for Jack.  
   
“Doctor, are you alright? What happened? Did I…?”  
   
Jack’s voice trailed off when the memory hit him, and he shivered, feeling the Dalek ray strike his body again and again in his mind. His eyes were glazed over and the Doctor pulled Jack to him, pressing soothing kisses to his face.  
   
“It’s okay, Jack, you’re okay. They’re gone, they blew up their ship and we escaped. You’re okay, Captain. You’re back with me.”  
   
When at last Jack had calmed again, he got up off the floor and helped the Doctor up as well, holding him up so the Doctor didn’t have to put weight on his injured leg. They carefully made their way to the med bay. Jack’s injuries as always had healed when he came back to life, but he wanted to scan the Doctor to check the extent of his injuries. Luckily it wasn’t too bad, a nasty cut which was quickly mended with one of the medical lasers, some scrapes and bruises and a twisted ankle. Satisfied that the Doctor would be fine, Jack helped him to their bedroom and the shower, where they washed off the smell and dirt from the exploding ship before settling into bed together. The Doctor curled around Jack protectively, his head on Jack’s chest so he could listen to the reassuring sound of his Captain’s immortal heartbeat and let it lull him into sleep.  
   
The Doctor woke with a start when Jack shot upright in bed, sweating and panting.  
   
“Jack? Jack!”  
   
It took a minute for Jack to come back to himself and focus on the Doctor. He shivered.  
   
“Nightmare, Captain?”  
   
“Yes… Stupid Daleks!”  
   
Jack shivered again. He embraced his lover tightly, finding solace in the strong hold of the Doctor, and the comforting feeling of the Doctor’s double heartbeat against his chest. After a few minutes, he finally calmed a little.  
   
“Doctor?”  
   
The Doctor hummed into Jack's hair in response. Jack’s voice was small and plaintive.  
   
“I don’t wanna get shot by a Dalek ever again. Twice is quite enough.”  
   
The Doctor couldn’t help a soft chuckle and he caressed his lover’s back soothingly.  
   
“Never again. I promise, Captain.”  
   
But they both knew that with their weird lives, it was a promise the Doctor might not be able to keep. Still, Jack knew the Doctor would try, and that was enough for him.  
   
They managed another hour or two of sleep before Jack woke up shaking again, and they both knew this wasn’t going to work. They needed a distraction, but after the days they had just had, not the distraction of another adventure. Wordlessly, they agreed, got dressed, and the Doctor set the coordinates for the cabin.  
   
*****  
   
Jack woke up refreshed after his short nap, feeling the calm atmosphere of the cabin in the sunshine soothe him. When he opened his eyes, he grinned at what he saw. The Doctor was still sleeping, and Tony and Gibbs had apparently made use of the opportunity of their guests napping to explore each other a little more. Gibbs was on his back in the lounge chair, Tony draped all over him, and while they were exchanging deep kisses, Gibbs’ hands had disappeared under the waistband of Tony’s shorts, where they could clearly be seen to be kneading Tony’s cheeks under the soft fabric. Appreciating the sight for a few minutes, always ready to enjoy a good show, Jack felt himself stir. He managed to make his voice sound sexy, hopeful and amused all at the same time.  
   
“You guys REALLY sure about not sharing?”  
   
Tony pulled back slowly, and Gibbs’ hands kept moving unapologetically as the two of them turned to look at Jack. Tony winked. Gibbs growled. Laughing, Jack held up his hands in mock surrender, then turned to his lover who was now also waking up.  
   
“They’re being mean to me, Doctor…”  
   
The Doctor quickly took in his surroundings and his eyes crinkled in amusement, immediately understanding what Jack meant.  
   
“Maybe it will teach you some restraint, Captain.”  
   
The Doctor tried to sound serious, but a small chuckle gave away his merriment. Jack looked offended.  
   
“I don’t need to be restrained, Doctor!”  
   
“I thought you liked to be restrained.”  
   
Jack swallowed, but then threw his lover a sexy grin.  
   
“Only if you do it.”  
   
“Handcuffs?”  
   
“I prefer one of your ties, Doctor.”  
   
“My ties are not intended for use in your devious sexual games, Captain!”  
   
The Doctor glared at Jack, but he couldn’t hold the expression for long. He grinned, then reached out his hand and brought Jack’s fingers to his mouth, kissing them softly.  
   
“Maybe tonight. If you’re good, Captain.”  
   
Jack grinned. He would be a very good boy indeed, if that was the reward on offer.  
   
Tony and Gibbs had extracted themselves from each other, following the exchange between the Doctor and Jack with barely hidden amusement, glad to see that both men were obviously feeling better. While Gibbs tended to the fire, Tony went inside to get beers and make a banana daiquiri for the Doctor, and they settled back in the sunshine with their drinks. Jack had taken the Doctor’s remarks as permission to start telling stories about his sex life again, and soon all four of them were relaxed and laughing. The Doctor told a story too, involving Jack and himself and something with tentacles, and while Tony and Gibbs thought it was completely made up, they still laughed heartily. Tony had plenty of stories too, of course, about handcuffs and spanking and all kinds of interesting positions. Suddenly, Jack turned to Gibbs with a twinkle in his eyes.  
   
“What about you, Gibbs? Ever done anything out of the ordinary in the bedroom?”  
   
Gibbs thought about it for a few moments, and Tony held his breath in anticipation.  
   
“Blindfolded a lover, covered them head to toe in honey dust with a feather and slowly licked it off every inch of them once. Drove them insane. That count?”  
   
Tony’s eyes were wide as he stared at his lover. His voice was hoarse as he managed to croak out a few words.  
   
“Honey dust?”  
   
Gibbs grinned at him.  
   
“Still got plenty of it left.”  
   
Tony’s breathing hitched and he sounded hopeful.  
   
“Tonight?”  
   
Echoing the Doctor’s words to Jack from earlier, Gibbs grinned.  
   
“If you’re good, Tony.”  
   
Tony nodded eagerly, and Jack grinned. Looked like he and Tony were both in for a treat tonight.  
   
*****  
   
They talked and laughed until late in the afternoon, and then grabbed another quick bit to eat. When Gibbs started gathering things, Jack raised his eyebrow.  
   
“You’re not staying here tonight?”  
   
Tony shook his head.  
   
“Gotta go back to work tomorrow, so we’re going home in a little bit.”  
   
Jack grinned.  
   
“Bet you’re gonna miss that air mattress.”  
   
Tony grinned back, but Jack could see the blush forming on his cheeks.  
   
A little while later the four of them were saying goodbye, and Tony hugged Jack.  
   
“Keep in touch, okay, Jack?”  
   
“We will. And thank you guys for your hospitality.”  
   
Then he lowered his voice and whispered in Tony’s ear.  
   
“And enjoy the honey dust tonight.”  
   
Tony swallowed and felt another blush rising on his cheeks.  
   
As Gibbs shook the Doctor’s hand, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity.  
   
“Where are you guys parked, anyway?”  
   
The Doctor motioned vaguely over his shoulder.  
   
“A little ways that way.”  
   
Gibbs nodded.  
   
“You should have your engine checked out. It doesn’t sound right.”  
   
The Doctor looked a little offended.  
   
“There is nothing wrong with her engines! She’s just a bit temperamental sometimes!”  
   
Gibbs smirked, and behind the Doctor, Jack grinned. Gibbs held up his hand.  
   
“Whatever you say, Doctor.”  
   
With a wave Jack and the Doctor set off through the woods, and a few minutes later, Tony and Gibbs heard that wheezing sound again. Gibbs smirked.  
   
“Temperamental… right.”  
   
Half an hour later, Tony and Gibbs were on the road, going back home.  
   
*****  
   
Jack shivered in delight as the Doctor kissed him deeply while he deftly undid the knot in his tie holding Jack’s wrists together above his head. The Doctor’s words made Jack grin, and as soon as his hands were free, he wrapped his arms around the Doctor.  
   
“Good boy, Captain.”  
   
They kissed for a while longer, and then the Doctor draped himself against his lover, letting the warmth of Jack’s body permeate his own cooler skin. While Jack stroked his hand up and down the Doctor’s back, the Time Lord traced lazy circles over Jack’s chest and stomach.  
   
“Feeling better, Jack?”  
   
The Captain pressed a kiss to his lover’s hair.  
   
“Yeah… This afternoon really calmed me down. Maybe we should check that cabin for some kind of force field or something. It’s so relaxed there. Of course, what we just did really helped too.”  
   
The Doctor could hear the waggling of Jack’s eyebrows at that last part, and he grinned.  
   
“Well, I guess my tie can stand being used like that if it’s for a good cause.”  
   
He liked hearing and feeling the chuckle rumbling through Jack’s chest under his ear, and as he snuggled a little closer, he felt Jack breathe deeply and settle into peaceful sleep. The Doctor followed him immediately.  
   
*****  
   
Tony was still trying to catch his breath when Gibbs carefully removed the blindfold from his eyes. Gibbs had delivered on his promise, and driven Tony completely insane, first the sensations of the feather coating him in honey dust and then Gibbs’ tongue licking him clean. Gibbs had taken his time, and chuckled every time Tony begged him for more. When Gibbs had finally relented and settled on top of Tony, the younger man had reached for the blindfold.  
   
“Leave it on, Tony.”  
   
Shivering in delight, Tony had agreed, the lack of sight heightening his other senses, every inch of his skin tingling with pleasure from Gibbs’ touch. Kissing his lover deeply, Tony conveyed how much he loved Gibbs and he sighed in contentment when Gibbs settled against him, Gibbs’ chest against Tony’s back, his strong arms wrapped around him from behind.  
   
“You think they’re okay, Jethro?”  
   
“Hmmm. They looked like they were gonna be alright.”  
   
“What do you think happened? Jack looked spooked, and the Doctor was hurt.”  
   
“Don’t know. Why didn’t you ask if you’re so curious?”  
   
Gibbs tightened his embrace for a moment to show he was teasing. Tony answered seriously.  
   
“Not much use asking. I had the feeling they weren’t gonna tell us anyway.”  
   
“You’re right. There’s a lot those two aren’t saying.”  
   
“You noticed that too, huh? I just don’t know what.”  
   
“Especially considering the things Jack has absolutely no problem sharing.”  
   
Tony chuckled.  
   
“True.”  
   
“Was he like that back then too?”  
   
“Exactly the same. He even looks exactly the same. Except for his eyes. They look older now.”  
   
Gibbs heard the contemplative tone, and tightened his hold a little.  
   
“Don’t worry, Tony. Between the two of us with our interrogation skills, we’ll get the truth out of them eventually.”  
   
He heard Tony’s smile as he settled into Gibbs’ embrace a little deeper. For a moment Gibbs thought that Tony had nodded off, but then his voice sounded softly again.  
   
“Jethro?”  
   
“Hmmm?”  
   
“Do you… do you mind? About Jack? That he and I…?”  
   
Kissing Tony’s neck to comfort him, Gibbs answered seriously.  
   
“It’s in the past, Tony. We both have a past. Just remember you’re mine now.”  
   
Tony let out a sigh that was part relief and part contentment.  
   
“Yeah… Yes, I am, Jethro.”  
   
Gibbs smiled, grateful for finally having Tony in his bed and in his arms.  
   
“I love you, Tony. Now sleep.”  
   
And with a soft chuckle, Tony closed his eyes and did as ordered.  
   
 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was inevitable, of course… Our boys meet the TARDIS!

   
   
“What are we gonna do, Doctor?”  
   
The Doctor took a moment to survey the timelines and the possible events, then let out a relieved sigh.  
   
“It’s not a fixed point. We save them, Captain!”  
   
Jack breathed a sigh of relief too while the Doctor set the coordinates in time and space.  
   
“We’ll have to be careful. The timelines are converging, so we only have a few seconds. You’d better hold on to something, Jack!”  
   
As Jack grabbed the console, he watched the concentration on the Doctor’s face.  
   
“Seconds? Then what do we do about the bomb?”  
   
“We let it explode. We’ll have to.”  
   
“Will there be casualties?”  
   
The Doctor glared at Jack.  
   
“Would I let that happen? Of course not! Just lots of structural damage. But the site is abandoned, so it won’t matter too much. Now hold on!”  
   
And then the Doctor flipped a handle and the TARDIS’ engines started wheezing as she took them out of the Vortex and straight into danger.  
   
*****  
   
Tony grabbed Gibbs’ wrist and started dragging him away, running as fast as he could, the adrenaline giving him extra speed. No way was he going to die – or let anything happen to Gibbs – when they had finally gotten together only a couple of weeks ago. As he ran, he prayed they would make it. The bomb was big, and there were only a few seconds left on the ominously ticking clock.  
   
Gibbs ran half a step behind his lover, Tony’s higher speed dragging him faster than he normally could run, but he knew they wouldn’t make it to safety in time. He silently cursed himself. This was the last time he was ever going to respond to an anonymous tip without back-up from the bomb squad. And then a shiver ran down his spine when he realized this would indeed probably be the last time. The last time he would do anything. And Gibbs felt deep regret that the last thing he ever did wasn’t kissing Tony.  
   
Neither man registered the strange wheezing sound, too preoccupied with running for their lives, but they tried to suddenly come to a halt when instead of running on the concrete floor of the warehouse, they were running up a kind of gangplank and then on metal grating. Their forward momentum slammed them into some kind of round structure with a lot of buttons and switches and handles, and then they heard a loud warning shout.  
   
“Hang on, guys!”  
   
Both used to immediately following orders in dangerous situations because it could save your life, they grabbed the railing surrounding the structure and held on tight as the room shook around them, feeling the room move. For a moment, they both thought it was the bomb exploding, but then they heard a by now somewhat familiar sound. Glancing up, they saw the green column in the middle of the round structure move in time with the wheezes, and at last they realized who had shouted at them.  
   
“Jack?? Doctor??”  
   
“Hold on!”  
   
It took another minute or so, but then the room settled and stopped shaking wildly. Straightening up, Tony and Gibbs looked around, finally seeing more than the round thing with all its buttons and the glass column. The room was large and orange – Tony shivered at that; was he destined to spend time in large orange rooms for the rest of his life? – and there were weird coral-like structures surrounding it. The whole thing was just strange. But before they could start to wonder about anything else, Jack and the Doctor stepped up to them and pulled them each into a tight hug.  
   
“You did it, Doctor!”  
   
Jack grinned at his lover. The Doctor looked smug.  
   
“Of course I did.”  
   
When the two time-travelers released their friends, they beamed wide grins at them. Tony looked bewildered, Gibbs just raised an eyebrow. The Doctor shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned casually against the console with his hip.  
   
“Welcome to my ship!”  
   
The longer the silence lasted, the more the Doctor’s face fell. Jack chuckled.  
   
“I don’t think they saw the outside, Doctor.”  
   
The Doctor’s face brightened again. That would indeed explain why the usual amazed exclamation of “It’s bigger on the inside!” wasn’t forthcoming. Maybe it would come later then, when they had landed somewhere and their friends got the chance to admire his TARDIS from the outside as well.  
   
*****  
   
Tony had no idea what had just happened, and for a moment he thought they had died and this was some kind of strange afterlife or something, but the Doctor and Jack’s banter quickly convinced him that they were the same as always, so he guessed they were all still alive. That didn’t explain what had happened or where they were, though. Of course Gibbs got to the heart of the matter with his usual focus.  
   
“What happened to the bomb?”  
   
The Doctor nodded in appreciation. He had gotten to know Gibbs well enough to understand that he would worry about others first and his own strange circumstances later.  
   
“It exploded. I’m sorry. But no one got hurt, so that’s good! The building was destroyed, though. It was quite a sight!”  
   
Gibbs and Tony shared a look, and now both of them raised a questioning eyebrow. The Doctor tried to explain.  
   
“I saw it blow up before we came to get you, that’s how I know.”  
   
Of course, that didn’t really help. Gibbs stated the obvious, at least, obvious to him.  
   
“We were next to the bomb, and then suddenly we were here. We didn’t blow up, so you couldn’t have seen it blow up because we’ve been here with you since before the bomb exploded.”  
   
The Doctor’s smile brightened again.  
   
“Yes! And aren’t you glad that we came to pick you up before it exploded after we had seen it blow up the building? I would have preferred to simply land and invite you in, but we only had a few seconds because the timelines were converging, so we materialized around you and dematerialized immediately again once you were inside, so we weren’t there when the bomb exploded. And that was how it was supposed to be, because I didn’t see us when I saw the explosion earlier.”  
   
Tony and Gibbs shared another look. Jack grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the railing comfortably. When the Doctor took in a breath to start explaining further, Jack cleared his throat.  
   
“Doctor? Want me to explain?”  
   
Snapping his mouth shut, the Doctor glared at his lover. He was perfectly capable of explaining everything himself, he had been doing this for centuries already after all. But when he looked back at their two friends who were looking at him as if he were crazy, his face fell again.  
   
“Perhaps that would be better, Captain.”  
   
Jack smiled softly at his lover, then spoke.  
   
“Tony, Gibbs, welcome to the TARDIS. The TARDIS is the Doctor’s ship, and it stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. She’s a space ship that can also travel in time. The Doctor is a Time Lord, and he can see all the different timelines, even ones that don’t happen. He saw the bomb in your timeline, saw it was about to explode but that it wasn’t a fixed point, so he flew his ship to when and where you were and brought you inside of the ship before the bomb exploded.”  
   
Gibbs and Tony glanced at each other again, then Tony nodded.  
   
“Yep, that makes much more sense.”  
   
The sarcasm in Tony’s voice was palpable. Jack just grinned wider, and the Doctor smiled. They were both used to this, so they weren’t offended.  
   
“Got any coffee?”  
   
Tony laughed out loud when Gibbs’ question made the amusement on the Doctor and Jack’s faces vanish, to be replaced by surprise.  
   
*****  
   
The Doctor and Jack went to the kitchen to get coffee for Gibbs and other beverages for Tony and themselves, leaving Tony and Gibbs alone in the console room for the moment. They both understood that Gibbs’ request for a drink had less to do with him being thirsty and more with getting a chance to be alone with Tony so he could reassure himself that his lover was alright.  
   
As soon as their hosts were out of sight, Gibbs pulled Tony close and kissed him, then held him tight, resting their foreheads together.  
   
“I thought I was going to lose you.”  
   
“I know, Jethro. Me too. But we’re fine.”  
   
Gibbs chuckled.  
   
“Are we? Seems like we’re in the company of a couple of crazies.”  
   
“Well, yeah, but… look around… this place IS crazy.”  
   
“Maybe we’re crazy too?”  
   
Tony waggled his eyebrows.  
   
“Crazy about each other, right?”  
   
Gibbs smiled and kissed Tony again.  
   
“We are that.”  
   
Tony smiled and stole another kiss.  
   
“You really okay, Tony?”  
   
“Yeah, really. The adrenaline is starting to wear off, but as long as you hold me, I’m fine.”  
   
“Then I’m never letting go of you again.”  
   
Tony chuckled. His curiosity got the better of him and he pulled back from Gibbs a little so he could look around the strange room. Gibbs released Tony from his embrace, but held on to his hand and followed his every step as Tony walked around the console, studying everything he saw.  
   
*****  
   
Jack and the Doctor smiled at each other as they heard the last part of the exchange between Tony and Gibbs from around the corner. They had returned with the drinks they had gotten from the kitchen, but had waited when they heard Tony and Gibbs talking to give them some additional time together. When they heard the two starting to move around the console, they stepped back into the room. Just as Tony reached out his hand to touch one of the flashing buttons, the Doctor gently warned him.  
   
“Stop, Tony! You never know where or when we’ll end up if you touch that.”  
   
Shooting the Doctor another puzzled look, both Tony and Gibbs reached out their free hand, the ones that weren’t clasped together in reassurance, to accept their drinks, coffee for Gibbs, beer for Tony. The Doctor had tea and Jack a beer. Jack gave Tony a wink.  
   
“I thought you could use something to help you relax.”  
   
Gibbs took a sip from his coffee, then promptly gave a cough. His voice was gravelly.  
   
“Good coffee!”  
   
At Tony’s raised eyebrow, Jack gave him another wink.  
   
“The Doctor put a healthy dose of bourbon in it.”  
   
Tony grinned as Gibbs, now prepared for the taste, took another big sip, sighing in contentment when the hot alcoholic mixture this time slid down his throat much more smoothly. Tony cleared his throat.  
   
“So…”  
   
“Want a tour?”  
   
The Doctor was only too happy to show off his ship to their friends, and he bounced on the balls of his feet in anticipation. Tony and Gibbs accepted the offer with a nod, curious about what else they would find on this so-called time and space traveling ship. Gesturing around them, the Doctor began.  
   
“Well, this is the console room. It’s the heart of the TARDIS…”  
   
The Doctor talked a mile a minute while Jack smiled in amusement, pointing out the different buttons and levers and telling their guests the functions of each. After a couple of minutes of this, the Doctor started to walk out of the console room, the others following. For the next hour they were led around the TARDIS, the Doctor showing them all kinds of different rooms, and to their amazement they were shown around bedrooms and playrooms, the medbay and a library, an enormous wardrobe filled with an astounding variety of clothes, and several other rooms that the Doctor apparently didn’t really know what they were for either, if they heard his mutters correctly.  
   
“I wonder what this one is supposed to be for…”  
   
Taking everything in stride so far, Tony and Gibbs followed the Doctor everywhere, the only sign that they were getting a little uncomfortable with everything they were being shown the tightening of their hold on each other’s fingers. When they again heard the Doctor mutter, they glanced at each other for confirmation.  
   
“Now, where did she put the swimming pool this time…”  
   
Gibbs and Tony couldn’t help it. When after another couple of turns in the seemingly endless hallways the Doctor crowed in victory and opened another door to reveal a huge swimming pool, their eyes widened and they swallowed. Jack saw their discomfort, but the Doctor enthusiastically led them to yet another door, which revealed a huge garden with all kinds of plant life that looked just plain weird to Tony and Gibbs. At last Jack stopped his lover.  
   
“Doctor? I think that’s enough of a tour for now.”  
   
Glancing first at Jack and then at their guests, the Doctor nodded in understanding. He quickly brought them all back to the console room, which wasn’t where it was supposed to be according to both Gibbs’ and Tony’s sense of direction, but they were almost glad to be in a somewhat familiar space again after everything they had been shown. The Doctor gestured towards the jump seat next to the console, and they gratefully sat down. The Doctor looked at them with twinkling eyes.  
   
“Well? What do you think?”  
   
Gibbs and Tony glanced at each other, and Gibbs leaned back before he answered.  
   
“Big.”  
   
The Doctor’s face fell a little. He liked Gibbs, but his lack of enthusiasm sometimes disappointed the Doctor. Tony looked at Jack hopefully.  
   
“I could use another beer…?”  
   
Jack grinned, and returned moments later with fresh beers for Tony and himself, and another helping of bourbon for Gibbs, no coffee added this time. They both sipped gratefully.  
   
*****  
   
After giving Tony and Gibbs some time to acclimatize, Jack suggested making a little trip. Gibbs shook his head.  
   
“We need to get back. Our people will be worried.”  
   
The Doctor shrugged.  
   
“It’s a time machine, Gibbs. We can travel for years and still put you back mere moments after the explosion, just out of range of it, and your people will never know you’ve been gone.”  
   
They glanced at Jack for confirmation. He seemed to be the saner one of the two. Jack smiled and nodded.  
   
“You’ll see, Gibbs.”  
   
Accepting all the strangeness with a shrug, Gibbs gave another squeeze to Tony’s fingers, then nodded.  
   
“Okay then.”  
   
The Doctor’s face lit up with a huge grin, and he started whirling around the console again. When he pulled another lever, the green column started moving and the wheezing sound permeated the console room, and then they were on their way.  
   
*****  
   
 


End file.
